Sustainable living

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maddash
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Sustainable living

Post by maddash »

Sustainable living has gotten a bad rap as a trendy liberal agenda, but really it's a lifestyle that applies to everyone - rich or poor, conservative or liberal. I'm hoping this could be a running thread (even a sticky maybe?) on sharing resources and experiences in the art of living a sustainable lifestyle.

First, let's start with a definition. Wiki's is a good as any other's:
Sustainable living refers to a specific lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources.

That's a pretty general definition, which is great because this is a lifestyle that can apply to every aspect of your life. And the motivation doesn't always have to be altruistic in its nature - in fact, some old fashion American selfishness will work just as well. Because what we're talking about here is saving you money by doing things like lowering your water/gas/electric bill, saving you gas money, limiting the amount of food you waste...

First, some resources:
http://livegreenstlouis.wordpress.com/ (a St. Louis blog on living sustainably)
http://www.gardensimply.com/gardening-technique.php (tips on a sustainable gardening)
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=h ... ment_index (making your home more energy efficient)
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/references.htm (greywater information)
http://www.homepower.com/home/ (energy)

In addition to resources, I'd like to use this thread to share our experiences with sustainable projects. Personal gardening plans down to the minute details. Home solar or wind energy projects. Greywater systems. I'm going to research some projects this winter and find one that best applies to my home and try to implement it next spring - comparing utility bills to each other to see where I can save the most money, weighing that against the cost of implementing a solution, researching the efficiency of each solution in my particular area...

The Minutemen are one of my favorite bands of all time, they had a slogan that said "We Jam Econo". It basically meant that they didn't let things like inexperience or a lack of money get in the way of doing what they loved. They were DIY musicians, and they had a "just do what it takes to get it done" attitude. The thread is going to all be about "jamming econo". Doing it yourself without waiting for outside intervention. Change starts from within.

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docellis
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by docellis »

Geek magazine says they've found ways to us solar panels the way plants use photosynthesis to store power at night. (I think I have that right) They say that within 10 years it will be cheap and easy for everyone. I think it would be awesome to have some combination of power sources instead of just electric.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

This is such a huge idea that people are intimidated by it because, lets be honest, it's tough for one person to make a huge difference. So, people seem to think that them doing something small is irrelevant, and that's the beauty of sustainability. It challenges everyone to make changes, little or large, and that makes a relevant difference.

I would challenge everyone to buy into this concept that you can make a difference, and then actually do it. It doesn't have to be anything big, and I would say it is easier/better to start small. Buying LED lights instead of regular bulbs next time you need them would be a good place to start. If you have a garden, consider trapping rainwater in a bucket to water them (though this will likely have to wait til next spring). Make sure you turn off all your lights when you leave for work. Leave lights off at work that you don't need. Turn your computer all the way off when you leave for home. Turn your heat down a degree in the winter and teh AC up a degree in the summer. Don't turn it on at all until it's completely necessary. etc etc etc. If you don't feel comfortable doing some of these things, don't feel guilty about it. Just do what you can and keep in mind the little things that are so easy to do, and that would be a great start....

maddash
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by maddash »

Ok. My first project is going to be purchasing the Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor. With this device, you can measure an appliance's power usage. This is especially useful for sniffing out electronics that pull a lot of power while idle (standby) - otherwise known as vampire power or phantom load. Some studies show that vampire power can account for up to 10% of your electricity usage.

I'd love to purchase something like this as well - http://www.thesavasocket.co.uk/savasocket_mobile.html But I don't think it's available in the US market. Anyone have any experience with using "smart strips" or devices like this? The "smart strips" seem effective, but they look a little too pricey of a solution for me.

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by Popeye_Card »

I have a rain barrel for my front porch roof, to water my planters in front. I will do one for the house roof when I do my back yard.

I want to do solar power and/or solar water heater since I have a flat roof and it would not be very visable. But price is a concern at this point. Waiting for it to come down.

I'm also a believer that rehabbing old homes is overall very efficient over building a new one.

maddash
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by maddash »

Popeye_Card wrote:I have a rain barrel for my front porch roof, to water my planters in front. I will do one for the house roof when I do my back yard.
How do you have this setup? I'm assuming you tap into the gutter's downspout to reroute the water into the barrel. How do you deal with overflow? Is there a overflow valve that reroutes water back down the downspout into the sewer? What's the water pressure like?

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Leroy
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by Leroy »

Geez you make things difficult. :)

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by Popeye_Card »

maddash wrote:
Popeye_Card wrote:I have a rain barrel for my front porch roof, to water my planters in front. I will do one for the house roof when I do my back yard.
How do you have this setup? I'm assuming you tap into the gutter's downspout to reroute the water into the barrel. How do you deal with overflow? Is there a overflow valve that reroutes water back down the downspout into the sewer? What's the water pressure like?
Mine isn't a traditional setup. The barrel is actually a pesticide barrel from the family farm, which just happens to have standard pipe threads. It is hidden under my deck behind lattice.

The downspout from the gutter transitions into 2" pvc, which then flows into the barrel at the top. (it is horizontal) At the bottom, I have a swing ball valve that I can open and close, connected to a soaker hose that's buried in the planter. Keep the valve closed to fill, then open to water. Keep it open in winter so it doesn't freeze. It takes a heck of a lot of rain to fill it (from a relatively small roof area), but if it does overflow, I have a smallish hole drilled in the top, and it can just release water under my porch. I could add a tap with a overflow pipe at the top going to the storm sewer if it really becomes an issue.

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Re: Sustainable living

Post by planet planet »

St. Louis City's method of billing for water use is a disincentive to sustainable living. They charge a flat rate based upon the # of fixtures you have (instead of charging for what you use), so there's no financial incentive to go green like there is with gas and electric. Does anyone outside of St. Louis pay a flat water rate?

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Sustainable living

Post by Popeye_Card »

planet pujolsian wrote:St. Louis City's method of billing for water use is a disincentive to sustainable living. They charge a flat rate based upon the # of fixtures you have (instead of charging for what you use), so there's no financial incentive to go green like there is with gas and electric. Does anyone outside of St. Louis pay a flat water rate?
Yeah, I think that's stupid too.

But I conserve water anyway. When I'm home alone, sometimes I even follow the yellow/mellow, brown/down rules.

I also failed to mention with my earlier post that I do small things on the utility side. Energy efficient bulbs everywhere that's feasible. I keep the house fairly warm in the summer, and pretty cool in the winter. I wish I had a better space to install a small wood stove on my main floor. I'm a big believer in keeping smaller spaces warmer during the winter, and keeping your central system pretty cool. Wearing a sweatshirt around inside is prefered to cranking up the heat, no?

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